Lal Chowk witnesses festivities on Lal Chowk witnesses festivities on Diwali

Srinagar, Oct 31: Srinagar’s commercial hub Lal Chowk witnessed a festive look on Diwali eve as scores of people including visitors and locals gathered at Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) today evening to celebrate the festival that symbolises the victory of truth over falsehood.

A visitor, Arjun Patel from Ahmedabad said, “Celebrating Diwali in Kashmir is like a dream come true. It’s nice to see locals joining the festivities.”

“I always wanted to celebrate Diwali in Kashmir,” Patel said.

Illuminated Lal Chowk with festivities in the air remained crowded on Thursday evening as the people were seen having a good time. “It’s entirely a new experience for all of us. It is good to see tourists celebrating Diwali in Lal Chowk,” said a shopkeeper.

“This year there are more tourists and the entire city centre is abuzz. The ongoing festivities have increased the footfall in and around Lal Chowk,” he added.

Another tourist, Anju Sharma, from New Delhi said, “Lal Chowk has turned so beautiful. When I came here a few years ago, the city centre was not so lively. Today’s refurbished Lal Chowk can compete with any city square in the world.”

“It appears that a lot of hard work has been put into making Lal Chowk vibrant,” she said, adding, “Celebrating Diwali in Kashmir is going to be a great fun. I and my family are looking forward to it.”

A top official said, “we have put all the security arrangements in place to ensure the smooth facilitation of the celebrations. Every effort has been put into creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.”